If Gonzaga wins the national championship, they'll be the first team from outside the "major" conferences to do so since UNLV in 1990. The odds are long -- but better than they've been for a mid-major in years. > >

In his feature for ESPN Insider John says Russ Smith, Gorgui Dieng and company are better than the Cardinal team that reached the Final Four last season -- and also better than their current ranking. > >